Bakhmut, Ukraine — At least four civilians were killed in the frontline city of Avdiyivka some 700 kilometers southeast of Kyiv, after the city was massively shelled by Russian-backed separatists at 7 p.m. local time, Ukraine’s National Police reported on May 13.

Reports on social networks said that a private house was destroyed with a direct hit that immediately killed four people, leaving two female children without parents. Authorities said the girls had been taken under police protection.

Vladimir Putin, who exploited Russian euphoria over the Anschluss of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea three years ago to boost his own power, now wants Russians to pay less attention to that region so that they will not be as inclined to complain about the costs to them of that annexation, according to Yevgeniya Goryunova.

“Russian euphoria about the annexation of Crimea has significantly weakened under the press of social and economic problems,” the Crimean political scientist says. “The Crimean theme is losing its importance,” and the only aspect of it that Moscow outlets now talk much about is the Kerch bridge.

In 2014-2015, Putin made “the sacred importance” of Crimea the centerpiece of his speeches, but already by 2016, as the economic crisis in Russia deepened and the costs of the occupation became more obvious, he shifted away from this theme. And by the end of that year, the Kremlin leader mentioned the annexed peninsula only in passing...

Western Europe needed a Marshall Plan in 1947. In 2017 Marshall Plan is needed for Ukraine

Ukraine should matter to the West not only for Ukraine’s sake. Not only because Ukraine renounced its nuclear weapons and received a guarantee of protection of its sovereignty, which the West failed to materialise. Ukraine should also matter for the West as the only possibility to help Russia transform into a European state over time. Because example of Ukrainian success story is the only instrument that the West has in its hands to help Russia. Therefore, by helping Ukraine, the West would essentially address the causes of the latest tectonic conflict on the European continent between undemocratic Russia and continental Europe…

The Kremlin’s aggression, when unchecked, traditionally expands to ever new territories. As demonstrated by the experience of recent years, Moscow no longer limits itself to Crimea, Eastern Ukraine or Syria. It has recently made efforts to affect the election results in the United States and France. One may only speculate what will come next. The only appropriate response is the one formulated in a Long Telegram by George F. Kennan, one of the Marshal Plan’s ideologists, back in 1946: Russia’s aggression should be confronted with unalterable counter-force at every point and the Kremlin should not be allowed to win any strategic victories in new territories.

Today, this new territory is Ukraine. Ukraine is the land where Putin’s political appetites need to be curbed. Ukraine is the place where Putin’s political strategy needs to be aborted. And a Marshall Plan for Ukraine is needed for that. This is urgent, because only Putin will benefit from delay…

Firstly he constantly refers to a civil war – Russia has invaded Ukraine so hardly a civil war! Whilst no denying that there are some Russian sympathisers in Donbas hankering for a Soviet Union that no longer exists many Donbas Ukrainians have been forced to join the ‘separatists’ at gunpoint and at threat to their families.

The movie was obviously shot some 3 months into the war yet says that Ukraine has struggled to throw off Russian influence. The 1991 ‘independence’ was a sham, the Yukanovic government was Russian influenced, so hardly surprising that the Russian influence of many decades was not discarded in 3 months.

Ross says that Russia is allegedly funding the ‘separatists’ – can there be any doubt??!!

The inadequacies of the Kyev government in combating the Russian invasion? Until Maidan there was no reason to suppose that Russia was a threat, and Ukraine was supposedly protected under the Budapest Memo (big joke ) when it surrendered its nuclear defences.

He refers to Maidan as a ‘revolution’ then goes on to call it a popular anti-government demonstration, he seems very confused.

He also infers the Azrov battalion to be Nazi and goes on to suggest that they are fascist - again confusion reigns. He then goes on to say that they defend Ukraine against the threat of a Russian invasion (that has already happened fgs!).

Right or far right, I have the greatest respect for these brave men many of whom who have sacrificed their lives for their country.

Mariupol Ukraine’s second largest city? Actually only the 10th! And any person with knowledge of Ukraine would never refer to ‘the’ Crimea or ‘the’ Ukraine.

Ross goes on to say that the police were too scared to stop Nationalists protesters – should they have responded like Yanukovic’ Birkut police and gunned them down?

Netherlands has finally ratified the free trade pact between the EU and Ukraine the last hurdle and one step further forwards to Ukraine's bigger goal.

And all despite Russia's and Putin's attempts to derail it, first with bribes to the now ousted exiled leader, when that failed, and with the deal intact but still no negotiation, it ignited the popular revelution 2013-2014 pro-Western Euromaidan, this lead to Putin's reaction in seizing one part of Ukraine territory Crimea and aiding an insurgency in another part Donbass, leading to 10,000 dead . And Putin's many attempts including weaponizing energy and trying to influence, bribe and pressure both Eu members and opposition parties within the EU ...... But deal done Putin lost.

Last edited by bal canavar; 31st May 2017 at 23:39..

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